The Real Reason Devin Kelley Left 9-1-1: What Happened to Shannon Diaz?

Summary

• Devin Kelley was no longer a recurring cast member after Season 2.
• The reason is what happened to her character.
• Since Season 7, however, Kelley plays a new role.

While many feel that the seventh season of 9-1-1 changed the tone too much, becoming darker and more somber, drama has always been present in the police procedural created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear.

This is especially true of the plight of Edmundo Diaz, played by Ryan Guzman. During the events of Season 7, he once again faced the trauma that has been haunting him for several seasons. Unfortunately, things got pretty messy, culminating in his own son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh), making the decision to move in with his grandparents in Texas, away from the triggering events and people. The reason is Eddie's wife and Chris' mother Shannon, who only appeared in flashbacks after the second season.

But why did the actress who played Shannon, Devin Kelley, leave 9-1-1 after Season 2? Let's get to the bottom of it.

Why Did Devin Kelley Leave 9-1-1?

As you may recall, Shannon disappeared from Eddie and Christopher's lives for a long time. While Edmundo was deployed to Afghanistan, Shannon was left alone to care for a young child. When her husband returned home, she had to leave Texas to care for her mother. She asked Eddie to move in with her, but he was reluctant to leave his family. As a result, unable to cope with the stress, Shannon disappeared from Eddie and Chris' lives for two years.

Then, according to the storyline, she rejoined her husband and son at the time of the second season. Their journey to reconciliation was quite challenging, as a resentful Eddie wouldn't let Shannon see Chris. Fortunately, the couple became close again and the mother was able to reunite with her son. Shannon, Eddie and Christopher became a family again. However, their idyll did not last long and Shannon felt that the best solution was to divorce Eddie.

Unfortunately, the very next day, Eddie and the other members of the 118 responded to a call of a traffic accident, and to Diaz's shock, Shannon was the victim. As she died in his arms, she apologized for almost leaving her family again and admitted that she truly loved Eddie. Thus ended the tragic love story of the Diaz couple.

At this point, our readers are probably wondering what the real reason for Devin Kelley's departure from the project is. In fact, we already mentioned it above. Yes, the only reason why the actress is not in the following seasons is due to the death of her character.

Actress Returns to Show with New Role

However, Devin Kelley did not leave the project for good, and since Season 7 she has become a recurring member of the 9-1-1 cast again by playing a different character.

You may have noticed the uncanny resemblance between Shannon and Kim, the new woman in Eddie's life who helps him deal with the trauma of losing his lover. This makes the situation Christopher found himself in even more twisted. After all, the boy literally saw his dead mother in the flesh!

So we should expect a Devin Kelley appearance next season as well. It's unlikely that Eddie will start a full-blown affair with Kim, as Christopher would certainly not like that, and relationships based on trauma rarely work out. However, the road to healing is still ahead of Diaz, so we're sure to see more of the actress who played Shannon on 9-1-1.